Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090097873 | INTERMEDIATE ROLLER FOR SENSING TEMPERATURE OF PASSING SURFACES - A temperature sensing system for use in an electrographic printing machine senses temperature on a surface of a moving member. An intermediate roller is placed in operative contact with the surface of the moving member at a first location. A temperature sensor is then placed in operative connection with the intermediate roller at a location distanced and/or isolated from the moving member. A bias member is placed in operative contact with the temperature sensor to provide a force to the temperature sensor, resulting in the temperature sensor being biased against the intermediate roller, the temperature sensor thereby sensing the surface temperature of the moving member indirectly through the intermediate roller. | 04-16-2009 |
20090154968 | Ultra-Heated/Slightly Heated Steam Zones For Optimal Control Of Water Content In Steam Fuser - A dual-zone steam fuser for a xerographic system includes a ultra-heated first zone maintained at 200-500° C. that quickly heats a paper substrate to an optimal toner fusing temperature (e.g., 120-150° C.), and a second, relatively cool second zone for maintaining the substrate at the optimal temperature during completion of the fusing process. A conveying system conveys the substrate so that it exits the first zone and enters the second zone immediately after the substrate temperature reaches the optimal toner fusing temperature, and is maintained in the second zone for a predetermined fusing operation time period. The gas (e.g., steam) temperatures and timing are selected such that surface condensation is minimized during initial heating, and such that moisture content is normalized at the end of the fusing process. | 06-18-2009 |
20090154969 | Pressure-Controlled Steam Oven For Asymptotic Temperature Control Of Continuous Feed Media - A non-atmospheric pressure vapor oven system that utilizes a controllable pressure zone to facilitate fast phase change heat transfer at any desired temperature to heat or cool flat substrates, and to level temperatures across different locations of the substrates. The system enables the use of a heat transfer fluid, such as water, without being limited to a particular temperature, such as the fluid's natural boiling point at atmospheric pressure. The system includes a vapor oven (hermetic enclosure) defining a pressure chamber having sealed entry and exit ports for transferring an object (e.g., a sheet of paper) with added material (e.g., toner) through the pressure chamber, and a pressure regulation apparatus for setting the saturation temperature (boiling point) of heat transfer fluid inside the vapor oven to an optimal heating/cooling temperature by selectively controlling the pressure inside the hermetic enclosure. | 06-18-2009 |
20090160924 | CONTACTLESS INK LEVELING METHOD AND APPARATUS - A method of leveling ink that is printed on a substrate includes establishing a thermal gradient across a thickness of the substrate, the thermal gradient characterized in that it is less than a viscosity threshold temperature of the ink across most of the substrate. | 06-25-2009 |
20090195572 | System And Method For Leveling Applied Ink In A Printer - A system enables ink on an image receiving member to be re-distributed to reduce banding effects in the image. The system includes an ink applicator for applying ink to form an ink image on an image receiving member as it passes by the ink applicator; a plenum chamber for receiving a flow of pressurized fluid from a fluid source, and at least one opening in the plenum chamber to direct the flow of pressurized fluid from the plenum towards the ink image on the image receiving member to re-distribute the ink on the image receiving member. | 08-06-2009 |
20090218260 | MICRO-ASSEMBLER - A xerographic micro-assembler system, method and apparatus that includes a sorting unit that is adapted to receive a plurality of micro-objects. The micro-objects can also be sorted and oriented on the sorting unit and then transferred to a substrate. The system, method and apparatus can also include a device for detecting errors in at least one of the micro-objects on the sorting unit and a protection means for preventing an improper micro-object from being transferred to the substrate. The system, method and apparatus can also include an organized micro-object feeder assembly that can transfer at least one of a plurality of micro-objects to the sorting unit or directly to the substrate. | 09-03-2009 |
20100092199 | HYBRID MULTI-ZONE FUSING - A fusing system and a method of operating the fusing system, including a first heating zone to heat marking material and a substrate using a non-condensing heat source to less than a target temperature; and a second heating zone to heat the marking material and the substrate to about the target temperature to fuse the marking material to the substrate. | 04-15-2010 |
20100183344 | IMAGING SYSTEM AND METHOD WITH REDUCED THERMAL STRESS ON A SUBSTRATE - An imaging system including an image transfer structure configured to transfer marking material to a first side of a substrate; a tacker configured to fix the marking material to the substrate; a path controller; a substrate inverter; and a fuser. The path controller is configured to switch the substrate between a first path towards the fuser and a second path extending through the substrate inverter and returning to the image transfer structure. | 07-22-2010 |
20100186221 | MICRO-ASSEMBLER - A xerographic micro-assembler system, method and apparatus that includes a sorting unit that is adapted to receive a plurality of micro-objects. The micro-objects can also be sorted and oriented on the sorting unit and then transferred to a substrate. The system, method and apparatus can also include a device for detecting errors in at least one of the micro-objects on the sorting unit and a protection means for preventing an improper micro-object from being transferred to the substrate. The system, method and apparatus can also include an organized micro-object feeder assembly that can transfer at least one of a plurality of micro-objects to the sorting unit or directly to the substrate. | 07-29-2010 |
20100186222 | MICRO-ASSEMBLER - A xerographic micro-assembler system, method and apparatus that includes a sorting unit that is adapted to receive a plurality of micro-objects. The micro-objects can also be sorted and oriented on the sorting unit and then transferred to a substrate. The system, method and apparatus can also include a device for detecting errors in at least one of the micro-objects on the sorting unit and a protection means for preventing an improper micro-object from being transferred to the substrate. The system, method and apparatus can also include an organized micro-object feeder assembly that can transfer at least one of a plurality of micro-objects to the sorting unit or directly to the substrate. | 07-29-2010 |
20100192365 | MICRO-ASSEMBLER - A xerographic micro-assembler system, method and apparatus that includes a sorting unit that is adapted to receive a plurality of micro-objects. The micro-objects can also be sorted and oriented on the sorting unit and then transferred to a substrate. The system, method and apparatus can also include a device for detecting errors in at least one of the micro-objects on the sorting unit and a protection means for preventing an improper micro-object from being transferred to the substrate. The system, method and apparatus can also include an organized micro-object feeder assembly that can transfer at least one of a plurality of micro-objects to the sorting unit or directly to the substrate. | 08-05-2010 |
20100196067 | IMAGE-DRIVABLE FLASH LAMP - A flash lamp including an integrated plurality of pixels. Each pixel includes a transparent first electrode; a cell including a gas coupled to the transparent first electrode; and a second electrode having a non-uniform surface coupled to the cell. | 08-05-2010 |
20110149006 | SELF-ASSEMBLING STRUCTURES FOR ELECTROSTATIC EXTRACTION OF PIGMENTS FROM LIQUID INKS FOR MARKING - A fabricated structure for use with an associated marking device is provided. In one form, the fabricated structure includes a self-lifting spring finger having a nib for marking. | 06-23-2011 |
20110261127 | METHODS OF LEVELING INK ON SUBSTRATES AND APPARATUSES USEFUL IN PRINTING - Methods of leveling ink on substrates and apparatuses useful in printing are provided. An exemplary embodiment of the methods includes irradiating ink disposed on a surface of a porous substrate with radiation emitted by at least one radiant energy source. The radiation heats the ink to at least a viscosity threshold temperature of the ink to allow the ink to flow laterally on the surface to produce leveling of the ink. The ink is heated sufficiently rapidly that heat transfer from the ink to the substrate is sufficiently small during the leveling that ink at the substrate interface is cooled to a temperature below the viscosity threshold temperature thereby preventing any significant ink permeation into the substrate. | 10-27-2011 |
20110309513 | BURIED THERMALLY CONDUCTIVE LAYERS FOR HEAT EXTRACTION AND SHIELDING - An embodiment is a method and apparatus for heat extraction and shielding in multi-block semiconductor devices. A plurality of blocks stacked on each other is interconnected by vertical vias filled with thermally conducting material and separated by buried thermally conductive layers. A thermally conductive layer is bonded to bottom or top of the plurality of blocks as a ground plane or a heat extraction layer. The thermally conductive layer has a high thermal conductivity. | 12-22-2011 |
20120000386 | TRANSPORT FOR PRINTING SYSTEMS - A transport system for cut sheet media has a first and second cylinder to form a nip, a support subsystem to transport edges of cut sheets having at least one image into and out of the nip, and an array of contact points on each cylinder to make contact with the cut sheets without marking the image. A wheel for a print medium transport system has an outer rim having a series of contact points, an inner hub supporting a means to accommodate a drive shaft, and an internal spring connecting the outer rim to the inner hub. A method of transporting cut sheets in a printing system forms a nip between at least one pair of cylinders, each cylinder having an array of contact points, guides a first edge of a cut sheet into the nip, and uses the arrays of contact points to transport the cut sheets through one of either a fusing or drying process. | 01-05-2012 |
20120006655 | TRANSPORT FOR PRINTING SYSTEMS - A transport system for cut sheet media has a first and second cylinder to form a nip, a support subsystem to transport edges of cut sheets having at least one image into and out of the nip, and an array of contact points on each cylinder to make contact with the cut sheets without marking the image. A wheel for a print medium transport system has an outer rim having a series of contact points, an inner hub supporting a means to accommodate a drive shaft, and an internal spring connecting the outer rim to the inner hub. A method of transporting cut sheets in a printing system forms a nip between at least one pair of cylinders, each cylinder having an array of contact points, guides a first edge of a cut sheet into the nip, and uses the arrays of contact points to transport the cut sheets through one of either a fusing or drying process. | 01-12-2012 |
20120045258 | Preheating of Marking Material-Substrate Interface for Printing and the Like - Substrate (or marking material) pre-heating is employed to facilitate fusing of the marking material with the substrate and with adjacent marking material. By heating primarily the material which becomes the interface between substrate and marking material, and by minimizing the distance between the point of heat application to the substrate (or marking material) and the marking nip in a print system, the amount of time for heat energy to dissipate prior to the application of the marking material to the substrate surface is minimized, meaning that the total amount of energy required to drive the heat source can be reduced. Addressable heating may be employed to further reduce energy consumption. Furthermore, optical heating may be used to provide rapid, on-demand heating, thereby reducing warm-up time as well as reducing unutilized heat energy. | 02-23-2012 |
20120113202 | CONTACTLESS INK LEVELING METHOD AND APPARTUS - A method of leveling ink that is printed on a substrate includes establishing a thermal gradient across a thickness of the substrate, the thermal gradient characterized in that it is less than a viscosity threshold temperature of the ink across most of the substrate. | 05-10-2012 |
20120120169 | CONTACTLESS INK LEVELING METHOD AND APPARTUS - A method of leveling ink that is printed on a substrate includes establishing a thermal gradient across a thickness of the substrate, the thermal gradient characterized in that it is less than a viscosity threshold temperature of the ink across most of the substrate. | 05-17-2012 |
20130087167 | TUNABLE SURFACTANTS IN DAMPENING FLUIDS FOR DIGITAL OFFSET INK PRINTING APPLICATIONS - A dampening fluid useful in offset ink printing applications contains water and a surfactant whose structure can be altered. The alteration in structure aids in reducing accumulation of the surfactant on the surface of an imaging member. The surfactant can be decomposed, switched between cis-trans states, or polymerizable with ink that is subsequently placed on the surface. | 04-11-2013 |
20130161493 | SWITCHABLE REFLECTIVE LAYER FOR WINDOWS & OTHER OPTICAL ELEMENTS - Reflective systems include a reflective element secured to an optical element. The reflective element is a switchable reflective layer that is switched by an alignment mechanism electrically coupled to a controller that sends data instructing the alignment mechanism that various light conditions exist. | 06-27-2013 |
20130163065 | SWITCHABLE REFLECTIVE LAYER FOR WINDOWS & OTHER OPTICAL ELEMENTS - Reflective systems include one or more reflective elements that have a plurality of rotatable elements embedded between a first layer that is bonded to a second layer. The rotatable elements have a first and a second portion that are separated by a reflective plane. An alignment mechanism causes the rotatable elements to move into a desired position. | 06-27-2013 |
20130199387 | Dampening Fluid Recovery in a Variable Data Lithography System - In a variable data lithography system that employs a patterned dampening fluid layer for image formation, dampening fluid may be removed prior to image transfer to a substrate. Removed dampening fluid may be recovered and recycled to reduce operating expenses and environmental waste. A replacement fluid may be applied after inking and after removal of the dampening fluid. The replacement fluid preferentially occupies the regions previously occupied by dampening fluid, and may lubricate the transfer nip. Any replacement fluid and ink not transferred to the substrate upon printing may then be cleaned from the print image carrier prior to forming a new dampening fluid layer and subsequent pattern formation. | 08-08-2013 |
20140013972 | Imaging System With Electrophotographic Patterning of an Image Definition Material and Methods Therefor - A system comprises an electrophotographic subsystem, a transfer subsystem, an imaging member, and an inking subsystem. The electrophotographic subsystem comprises a photoreceptor, a charging subsystem, an exposure subsystem, and a development subsystem. In operation, the photoreceptor is charged areawise. An exposure pattern is formed by the exposure subsystem on the surface of the charged photoreceptor to thereby write a latent charge image onto the photoreceptor surface. The image is developed with an image defining material, such as a dampening fluid. The image defining material forms a negative pattern of the image to be printed. This negative image is then transferred to the reimageable surface. The negative image is then developed with ink. The inked image may be transferred to a substrate. | 01-16-2014 |
20140013978 | Imaging System With Electrophotographic Patterning of an Image Definition Material and Methods Therefor - A system comprises an electrophotographic subsystem, a transfer subsystem, an imaging member, and an inking subsystem. The electrophotographic subsystem comprises a photoreceptor, a charging subsystem, an exposure subsystem, and a development subsystem. In operation, the photoreceptor is charged areawise. An exposure pattern is formed by the exposure subsystem on the surface of the charged photoreceptor to thereby write a latent charge image onto the photoreceptor surface. The image is developed with an image definition material, such as a dampening fluid. The image definition material forms a positive pattern of the image to be printed. The image pattern is then transferred to the reimageable surface. The transferred pattern is then developed by selectively applying an ink over regions of image definition material. The inked image may be transferred to a substrate. | 01-16-2014 |
20140013979 | Electrophotographic Patterning of an Image Definition Material - A method is disclosed in the context of a system comprises an electrophotographic subsystem, a transfer subsystem, an imaging member, and an inking subsystem. The electrophotographic subsystem comprises a photoreceptor, a charging subsystem, an exposure subsystem, and a development subsystem. In operation, the photoreceptor is charged areawise. An exposure pattern is formed by the exposure subsystem on the surface of the charged photoreceptor to thereby write a latent charge image onto the photoreceptor surface. The image is developed with an image definition material, such as a dampening fluid. The image definition material forms a positive pattern of the image to be printed. The image pattern is then transferred to the reimageable surface. The transferred pattern is then developed by selectively applying an ink over regions of image definition material. The inked image may be transferred to a substrate. | 01-16-2014 |
20140013980 | Imaging System for Patterning of an Image Definition Material by Electro-Wetting and Methods Therefor - A system comprises an electro-wetting subsystem, a transfer subsystem, an imaging member, and an inking subsystem. The electro-wetting subsystem comprises a photo-responsive photoreceptor, a charging mechanism, an image definition material reservoir, a charge erase mechanism, and an exposure subsystem, such as a light source and rotating polygon forming a raster output scanner (ROS) disposed for exposure of the photoreceptor through the image definition material reservoir. The imaging member comprises a reimageable surface having certain properties, such as having a low surface energy to promote ink release onto a substrate. In operation, the photoreceptor is charged areawise. An exposure pattern is formed by the exposure subsystem on the surface of the charged photoreceptor, which is developed with image definition material. The image definition material pattern is transferred to the reimageable surface. The pattern is developed with ink. The inked image may be transferred to a substrate. | 01-16-2014 |
20140016112 | Electrophotographic Patterning of an Image Definition Material - A method is disclosed in the context of a system comprises an electrophotographic subsystem, a transfer subsystem, an imaging member, and an inking subsystem. The electrophotographic subsystem comprises a photoreceptor, a charging subsystem, an exposure subsystem, and a development subsystem. In operation, the photoreceptor is charged areawise. An exposure pattern is formed by the exposure subsystem on the surface of the charged photoreceptor to thereby write a latent charge image onto the photoreceptor surface. The image is developed with an image defining material, such as a dampening fluid. The image defining material forms a negative pattern of the image to be printed. This negative image is then transferred to the reimageable surface. The negative image is then developed with ink. The inked image may be transferred to a substrate. | 01-16-2014 |
20140020624 | METHODS OF LEVELING INK ON SUBSTRATES AND APPARATUSES USEFUL IN PRINTING - Methods of leveling ink on substrates and apparatuses useful in printing are provided. An exemplary embodiment of the methods includes irradiating ink disposed on a surface of a porous substrate with radiation emitted by at least one radiant energy source. The radiation heats the ink to at least a viscosity threshold temperature of the ink to allow the ink to flow laterally on the surface to produce leveling of the ink. The ink is heated sufficiently rapidly that heat transfer from the ink to the substrate is sufficiently small during the leveling that ink at the substrate interface is cooled to a temperature below the viscosity threshold temperature thereby preventing any significant ink permeation into the substrate. | 01-23-2014 |
20150027332 | Method of Making a Molded Textured Imaging Blanket Surface - Forming an imaging blanket for a printing apparatus includes depositing a patternable material over a substrate, etching the patternable material according to a desired exposure pattern, hardening the etched patternable material to thereby form a template surface comprising a desired template pattern of texture features, depositing a layer of curable liquid polymer over and in physical contact with the template surface, curing the liquid polymer to thereby form the imaging blanket, and removing the imaging blanket from the template surface to thereby expose a patterned imaging surface of the imaging blanket. The image blanket may thereby be provided with a desired texture surface, for example comprised of individual molded image blanket features, such as recesses or pillars, of a desired cross-sectional shape. The image blanket is configured for and may be disposed on an image forming member of a variable data lithography system. | 01-29-2015 |
20150029293 | Molded Textured Imaging Blanket Surface - Forming an imaging blanket for a printing apparatus includes depositing a patternable material over a substrate, etching the patternable material according to a desired exposure pattern, hardening the etched patternable material to thereby form a template surface comprising a desired template pattern of texture features, depositing a layer of curable liquid polymer over and in physical contact with the template surface, curing the liquid polymer to thereby form the imaging blanket, and removing the imaging blanket from the template surface to thereby expose a patterned imaging surface of the imaging blanket. The image blanket may thereby be provided with a desired texture surface, for example comprised of individual molded image blanket features, such as recesses or pillars, of a desired cross-sectional shape. The image blanket is configured for and may be disposed on an image forming member of a variable data lithography system. | 01-29-2015 |
20150040939 | TUNABLE SURFACTANTS IN DAMPENING FLUIDS FOR DIGITAL OFFSET INK PRINTING APPLICATIONS - A dampening fluid useful in offset ink printing applications contains water and a surfactant whose structure can be altered. The alteration in structure aids in reducing accumulation of the surfactant on the surface of an imaging member. The surfactant can be decomposed, switched between cis-trans states, or polymerizable with ink that is subsequently placed on the surface. | 02-12-2015 |
20150076961 | METHOD FOR REDUCTION OF STICTION WHILE MANIPULATING MICRO OBJECTS ON A SURFACE - A system and method reduce stiction while manipulating micro objects on a surface. The system and method employed a field generator configured to generate a driving force at a frequency and amplitude to at least partially overcome stiction between the micro objects and the surface. The field generator is further configured to generate a manipulation force to manipulate the micro objects on the surface in two dimensions. The manipulation force is spatially programmable. | 03-19-2015 |
20150077172 | EXTERNALLY INDUCED CHARGE PATTERNING USING RECTIFYING DEVICES - A system and method form charge patterns on micro objects. The system and method employ a micro object including a rectifying device. The rectifying device exhibits an asymmetric current-voltage (I-V) response curve. Further, the system and method employ a device external to the micro object to induce the flow of charge through the rectifying device. | 03-19-2015 |